Everyone Loves Jerky

Nothing unites the world’s various cultures like dried meat. Lovers of jerky can find the stuff around town in establishments whose roots lie in Mexico, China, and (in theory, anyway) South Africa.

The Vietnamese love jerky, and Vua Kho Bo is just great, reports bsquared2, who says the name means “King of Beef Jerky.” Go for the lemongrass and chile beef. Clam jerky (!) is a personal favorite. There are a couple of branches in Little Saigon and one inside the San Gabriel Superstore, next to Yum Cha Café.

It’s not exactly gourmet, but People’s Choice jerky sits head and shoulders above the other snack brands, says rameniac. Western, teriyaki, and hot flavors are great, adds Skunk2Racer, who says you can buy it by the pound ($15) at headquarters.

Lindner Bison, based in Valencia, sells its excellent free-range, organic bison jerky made with just honey and salt at the Sunday Long Beach farmers’ market, says vickib. The market is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

But there’s bad news for fans of the tender, spicy South African biltong at Springbok in Van Nuys: It’s no longer served there. Apparently the city got all up in Springbok’s business for not having the proper setup for meat processing, says Jerome.